Hello,
I've been deer hunting without calls/scents/or any lure type for several years and this year I was going to do a little scouting trip with the use of some scents and calls. My father gave me his old doe 'can' call and grunt call so I figured I'd be set.
Well... The can call stopped working. Just like that. One day it worked fine, the next day no sound came from it. (Can call= a can-like call where you tip it upside down then back upright to make a doe bleat sound).

Now, I'm not sure how this happened or how it can be fixed but I am wondering if there is any possible way(s) to create your own homemade doe can call. I would think it'd be a simple task, yet when I googled it, nothing was found.

If you know any way how to do this, please reply with instructions, or with a link to a site that has instructions.
If this is simply unheard of... well I'm a scientisty type, I'll expiriment!

I am actually in the process of making one right now. My can call also broke, so I took it apart just for the heck of it so I could see the insides. When you tip the call upside down, the weighted piece slides to the top of the call, filling the bellows with air. When you right the can, the weight slides back down the the bottom, thereby forcing the air from the bellows through the opening in the weight and through the reed, and that is how the call is produced. I am carving up a wooden dowel, and then I will drill through the middle of it and place the reed inside. I could just blow into what's left of the call by cupping my hands around it, but that's kind of a pain in the neck, plus the call is kinda sticky.

I'm assuming the call you have has a hole in the bottom of it (the "quiet carry" feature). You should be able to just put your mouth on the bottom of the call and blow through it, and the call should work this way, as long as the reed isn't damaged (and it shouldn't be; it's well protected, and it's made of metal it it's like the one I have).

Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee O God."

No mine isn't the 'quiet carry' it's a quite old model called EASY Hot Doe Can Call. I suppose I can take it apart and see inside and it would probably be quite similar to yours. Thank you for replying though! I'll definitally try to take mine apart (appears to be welded hard plastic) and I look forward to hearing how your homemade one turns out!

I had the same problem with the primos doe can...and I called to complain...10.00 the thing should work more than one season...They said that it's moisture that causes it to fail..What?!...hay...where do you think I hunt...my living room?...so they sent me a new one and what I did was put it in a zip loc....and use it while it stays in the zip loc....I took it out for this season and it sounds funny...so I'm using my dependable hands free call...

If or when? That's not the right attitude! Lol, I'm sure it'll turn out fine when you finish it! I am going to try to pry mine open with a can opener later tonight or tomorrow to start messing with it. (This thing is ancient). When I figure out a way to make my own, I will be sure to also post pictures! Thanks again!

I had the same problem with the primos doe can...and I called to complain...10.00 the thing should work more than one season...They said that it's moisture that causes it to fail..What?!...hay...where do you think I hunt...my living room?...so they sent me a new one and what I did was put it in a zip loc....and use it while it stays in the zip loc....I took it out for this season and it sounds funny...so I'm using my dependable hands free call...

Primos huh? Don't they have the 'guarenteed for life' lable right on their doe can product? Yeah mine is a easy hot doe can call, the model can't even be google searched anymore. It worked wonderfully for maybe 20+ years while my father used it, then poof; end of doe call. And it didn't get wet or anything. Moisture can cause it to not work, but it would probably have to be dropped in a river or something! Mine just had nice dry air, and it stopped working. Good thing they gave you a new one though.

The material they make the bellows out of is pretty thin. Yours might have gotten a hole in it or something like that. let me know what you find out when you take it apart. Maybe even post pics so we can see it's innards??

Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee O God."

Save yourselves all the pain of can calls and buy yourself a "Hot Ma-Ma" hand call. Works like a grunt tube and is capable of making all sorts of different doe and fawn sounds. I tossed my undependable cans away last year when I got this for christmas and I'm telling you I wish this product came along earlier in my hunting years. I had to carry different size cans for different sounds, they failed to produce consistent sounds, they would often fail after one or two seasons completely, and they even make a sound when the silence hole is covered. I know it's easy to use and carry, but trust me you won't regret switching.

"I enjoy and become completely immersed in the challenge and the increased opportunity to become for a time a part of nature. Deer hunting is a classical exercise in freedom. It�s a return to fundamentals that I distinctly feel are basic and right"-F.B.

Save yourselves all the pain of can calls and buy yourself a "Hot Ma-Ma" hand call. Works like a grunt tube and is capable of making all sorts of different doe and fawn sounds. I tossed my undependable cans away last year when I got this for christmas and I'm telling you I wish this product came along earlier in my hunting years. I had to carry different size cans for different sounds, they failed to produce consistent sounds, they would often fail after one or two seasons completely, and they even make a sound when the silence hole is covered. I know it's easy to use and carry, but trust me you won't regret switching.

Dmcianfa I hope you have better luck than me. I have had two Hot Ma-Ma calls and they both quit working when it gets cold and moisture gets on the reed inside the call. Nothing worse than having to take a call apart on stand to dry the reed off with paper towel and then put it back to work for it to only last a short time. The company originally sent me a replacement and then said they would refund my entire cost but let me just say that never happened. I can use the Hot Ma-Ma for early season before it gets to cold but in late season it's just not worth the hassle. Hopefully you don't experience the same problems I have.

With my bad experience with the Hot Ma-Ma call I started shopping around for a replacement and through forums and product reviews I have decided to get Hunter Specialties True Talker deer call. Hunters I have met and trust swear by it. The nicest feature with it is you can change the call by covering a different hole with your finger, not have to slide a rubber band to another notch. The one to get is the black rubberized one. I plan to pick mine up this weekend so will see if the others are right. Out of 41 reviews it's getting a rating of 4.8 out 5 stars so hopefully I don't have the same problems with this one.

BTW, good luck with making the calls guys. Seems like a lot of work to save $5 - $10 on a new can, I guess it just depends on how much your time is worth to you!